Bruce Tonkin

Bruce Tonkin is a prominent figure in the domain name industry and internet governance. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of .au Domain Administration Ltd (auDA), the policy authority and industry self-regulatory body for the .au domain space.1

Professional Background

Prior to his role at auDA, Dr. Tonkin had a distinguished career at Melbourne IT, where he held the position of Chief Strategy Officer.1 His experience in the domain industry spans over two decades, having joined Melbourne IT in 1999 as Chief Technology Officer.1

ICANN Involvement

Tonkin has been heavily involved with ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers):

• He served on the ICANN Board of Directors from 2007 to 2016.1
• He held the position of Vice Chair of the ICANN Board from June 2007 to November 2016.1
• Tonkin has participated in ICANN meetings since 2002, representing Melbourne IT.1

Expertise and Contributions

Dr. Tonkin is known for his expertise in:

• Internet governance
• Domain name policy
• Registry operations

He has been involved in various working groups and initiatives within ICANN, including:

• Addressing issues related to new gTLD (generic Top-Level Domain) programs.1
• Participating in discussions on trademark protection mechanisms in the domain name system.1

Education and Qualifications

Bruce Tonkin holds impressive academic credentials:

• He has a Bachelor of Engineering degree.1
• He earned a Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.1
• He is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.1

Recent Developments

It's worth noting that as of September 17, 2024, the auDA Board announced Dr. Bruce Tonkin's appointment as the new CEO of auDA, set to commence on January 1, 2025.2 This promotion from his current COO role demonstrates the organization's confidence in his leadership and expertise.